Believe it or not it's still Christmas!

The secular world starts Christmas as soon as it possibly can with no thought of Advent or any spiritual preparations for the coming of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Now that the big day has been and gone they are desperate to bring it to an end! Easter Eggs have already replaced chocolate Santas in the shops, trees are seen already in rubbish or recycling bins and the general public wonder why our cards are still on show and our tree lights continue to shine.

For Christian/Catholic families Christmas Day is only the start of the celebration. Please keep alive the twelve days of Christmas. The wise men edge ever nearer to their place in our crib scenes. Each day offers an opportunity to sing carols, exchange small gifts, offer hospitality and above all live the message of Christmas. Not one card or bauble should be cleared away before twelfth night! And of course on the Feast of the Epiphany we should bless our homes for the year ahead. I will post more on this later.

Unto us a Child is born

Wishing all my readers a Happy and Holy Christmas Season.

May the Christ Child bring peace to our hearts, our families and our world.

 (design copyright)

Bringing the Christmas message with Carols

Members and friends of the Holy Family Guild gathered in a small village in Tyne and Wear and walked singing carols from house to house and even stopped in at the village pub. We collected for a local hospice but the main aim of the event was to spread the Christmas message in the form of carols. In so doing we were also keeping alive a tradition which goes back centuries in Europe and then Britain and which we read about in the novels of Thomas Hardy, Kenneth Grahame and Louisa May Alcott among others. After the cold frosty evening kept us moving briskly, we returned for mulled wine, mince pies  and cake. Then the children had a visit from St Nicholas before we prayed together in the familychapel. NOW it must be nearly Christmas!

Believe it or not it's still NOT Christmas!

Yes we are still in the season of Advent - preparation for the coming of our Saviour. Many schools are already on holiday, Christmas trees and decorations are everywhere you look, panic has set in in the shopping centres and carols are playing on every radio station but....it's not Christmas yet! We still have one week.
Tomorrow the Holy Family Guild will meet for their annual gathering singing carols around a local village to raise funds for a hospice. The children who come will meet St Nicholas and we will have prayers together. Use the last week of Advent wisely in preparing. Not just preparing all those practical things that must be finalised but set aside time for prayer, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, an extra Mass and most especially the Sacrament of Confession. Just as your house should be clean to receive the decorations, so our souls should be spruced up to welcome the Christ child. Only then can we feel worthy to truly celebrate the Christmas Season. So be patient.... make the most of the last week of Advent.

Advent - a time for spiritual preparation

Advent is such a lovely time for families, especially those with young children. It is important that we keep Advent special for them. It is not Christmas yet and somehow we should battle against the commercialism of the modern day Christmas to explain and act out Advent. We prepare our hearts and souls first and foremost to welcome the Word made flesh. It is a time of prayer, small sacrifices, sacramental confession, giving, reading from the Bible.
In doing some of this we can also prepare practically - we can read from the Bible in order to produce a Jesse tree with children (see my post for 2010), we can fill a shoebox to go to children in poorer countries and pray for whoever will receive it throughout Advent, we can have a jar at home to fill with money left from small sacrifices which can then go to a worthwhile cause. We should of course mark Advent with a table wreath and/or calendar, aquaint ourselves with the Christmas story by preparing a crib and maybe involve children in making Christmas cards and decorations to go up when Christmas does arrive! If children are in school they may be in a nativity play and Christmas inevitably does arrive sooner than it should but try to keep the season of Advent first at home. It will be so important for them to take this tradition forward when they are parents. Happy Advent!

And finally!

"But the Church firmly believes that human life, even if weak or suffering, is always a splendid gift of God's goodness." ( #30 FC)
"When couples, by means of recourse to contraception, separate these two meanings (unitive and procreative) that God the Creator has inscribed in the being of man and woman and in the dynamism of their sexual communion, they act as 'arbiters' of the divine plan and they manipulate and degrade human sexuality" (#32 FC)
"parents have been appointed by God himself as the first and principal educators of their children and their right is completely inalienable" (#40 FC)

There is so much more in this document of value. Why not read it or reread it during Advent?
Also please feel able to comment on your favourite section for our planned publication

And some more!

""When marriage is not esteemed, neither can consecrated virginity or celibacy exist; when human sexuality is not regarded as a great value given by the Creator, the renunciation of it for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven loses its meaning" (#16 FC)
"To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time" (#20 FC)
"The Christian family....can and should be called the 'domestic Church'" (#21FC)
"Family communion can only be preserved and perfected through a great spirit of sacrifice" (#21 FC)

Continuing dip into Familiaris Consortio!

"In this sacrifice there is entirely revealed that plan which God has imprinted on the humanity of man and woman since their creation; the marriage of baptized persons thus becomes a real symbol of that new and eternal covenant sanctioned in the blood of Christ" (#13 FC)
"Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on the Cross; they are for one another and for the children witnesses to the salvation in which the sacrament makes them sharers" (#13 FC)
"When they become parents, spouses receive from God the gift of a new responsibility. Their parental love is called to become for the children the visible sign of the very love of God" (#14 FC)

Continuing the Birthday celebrations of Familiaris Consortio!

"Willed by God in the very act of creation, marriage and the family are interiorly ordained to fulfillment in Christ and have need of his graces in order to be healed from the wounds of sin and restored to their beginning, that is, to full understanding and the full realization of God's plan." (#3 FC)
"Modern culture must be led to a more profoundly restored covenant with divine Wisdom. Every man is given a share of such Wisdom through the creating act of God. And it is only in faithfulness to this covenant that the families of today will be in a position to influence positively the building of a more just and fraternal world." (#8 FC)
"The institution of marriage...is an interior requirement of the covenant of conjugal love which is publicly affirmed as unique and exclusive, in order to live in complete fidelity to the plan of God, the Creator. A person's freedom, far from being restricted by this fidelity is secured against every form of subjectivism or relativism and is made a sharer in creative Wisdom." (#11 FC)

Happy 30th Birthday Familiaris Consortio!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, 'Familiaris Consortio' (The Christian Family in the Modern World) For members of the Holy Family Guild this is a very important document. Whilst rereading it today I couldn't help but ponder how its content  might have changed society over the past 30 years if it had even been embraced by all Catholic families, not to mention Christian families, Bishops and lawmakers.
Sad that this anniversary has not been better marked in the Catholic world I intend to blog several important sections from it over the coming days. I also invite readers to comment on their favourite or most meaningful paragraph for inclusion in a publication to mark today's landmark.

All Saints Bonfire and BBQ 2011

More than 30 people representing 8 families met together at the Sacred Heart and English Martyrs Church in Thornley, Co. Durham to celebrate the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls and provide an alternative focus to the now commercialised and paganised festival of Halloween and the anti-Catholic roots of Guy Fawkes. It gave children an opportunity to dress up as one of the real heroes of our faith and enjoy a fire and fireworks alongside other Catholic children. Our numbers were swelled further by parishioners who came along to watch the saints parade, which this year as last year, now includes adults in costume. Through the dressed characters we heard the words of SS Cosmos and Damien, St Juan Diego, St Veronica, St Longinus and Clare of the Cross, St Bernadette, two Blessed Jacintas of Fatima and Blessed Junipero Serra among others. We also had benediction, a talk on the family by Father Gary Dickson, a procession to the Grotto to honour the Holy Souls followed by fun around the fire, mulled wine, delicious burgers and a variety of desserts. I hope we brought back a little of the spirit of Catholic England when these would have been widely celebrated major feast days. Judging by the comments from many of those attending, they are grateful that even a small number are keeping such traditions alive. It certainly pleased me to see that a family who moved out of the area a few years ago had introduced a similar celebration in their home and neighborhood. I include the photo of their children among those from our day. Thank you once again to those parents who put so much effort into preparing for this day and making it such a special time for children especially, as well as a day that is valued by the adults.

Saints or Spooks?

As we approach Halloween (All Hallow's Eve) the Holy Family Guild is again preparing its alternative celebration. No skeletons, vampires or zombies but martyrs, saints and real role models for our children. It is important that they become acquainted with the saints and learn how to be saintly. It is also important for them to become aware of the Church Triumphant and its relationship to the Church Militant and the Church Suffering. So we celebrate with a parade of saints (children and adults taking on the role and costume of a saint) and then after Benediction we walk in procession to honour the Holy Souls in purgatory. At a grotto we light candles to remember our dead, then the fire is blessed and lit and finally everyone enjoys fireworks and a tasty BBQ. This cleverly combines Halloween (with less scary and often very inventive costumes) and November 5th, Guy Fawkes, which, Catholics, shouldn't really celebrate! Children have a huge amount of fun and do not feel left out when friends tell of their Halloween or Guy Fawkes expeditions.

'Wicked', the musical

On a recent trip to the capital my husband and I took in the musical, ‘Wicked’. It is billed as the untold story of the Witches of Oz. And so we meet Elphaba the misunderstood girl with emerald green skin and Galinda the beautiful and popular blonde. They become unlikely friends as well as rivals in love. The plot begins before and continues after Dorothy’s arrival from Kansas and apparently (although I haven’t read it) is based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.

Any way we both loved it. The sets and costumes were stunning, it was very funny in places and the songs were exhilarating if not memorable. Most of all there was a lot to consider: how people relate to one another, what being wicked actually means and can good come from evil. Especially of note was the way the plot was so cleverly entwined into the story of The Wizard of Oz and the friends Dorothy makes on arriving there. It would be wrong to say anything more of the plot and risk spoiling it for future audiences who also may not have read the book on which it is based, so suffice it to say that it is a show that can be genuinely enjoyed by families with children of all ages.

Holiday Reading

It is customary for me and most of my family to include books in our holiday luggage. I presume it's the same for many people but not our youngest son, now 20. He, much to our dismay, seems rarely to have experienced that complete delight and absorption with the written word such that a book could only be put aside for essential sleep! So as he watched my husband and I pack ten books between us for a five week holiday in California he remarked, "why spend so much on a holiday just to read books in a different place"!
       I struggled with my first book and put it aside twice to indulge firstly in a biography of St Catherine of Siena from our daughter's bookshelf and then again while relaxing in a rented cabin in the Redwoods where I discovered among the owners possessions, the book 'The Shack' by William P. Young. I was riveted and read the whole book in record time.
       Following the abduction of his very young daughter, Mack struggles to see a loving heavenly father. Receiving a mysterious letter inviting him back to the shack (the place where 'Missy's dress was found) he encounters God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their three persons. Through many conversations he finds personal healing and more.         Beautifully written with some wonderful insights into our relationship with the Trinity and their relationships with one another it gave much food for thought. As a novel there may well be theological errors but I feel it has much to offer those in pain from a great suffering or those experiencing continuous little sufferings.

Welcome and unwelcome mail

It's always good to come home to mail especially if there are items of interest and no bills! Having been away 5 weeks there was quite a pile waiting. Among the best items were the Association of Catholic Women magazine, a request for petitions to take to Fatima, two wedding invitations and my salary cheque!
I also recieved an item of hate mail, beautifully addressed to me via an organisation for Natural Family Planning with whom I teach, inside a lovely shiny card which held a selection of pencilled Bible verses and alongside them, in pen, various expletives (the sort used by those with a vocabulary shortage). Anonymous of course. What was the sender hoping to achieve I wonder? S/he may have been perturbed by the result - rememberance in my night prayers!
I was rather more disappointed not to find a single letter or postcard. People (and I include myself) are becoming so used to fast text and e mail messaging that actual handwriting is becoming a dying art.
While on holiday I did manage to write 3 long and newsfilled letters (one of them in French) and sent several postcards. I just think people still like to find these in their mail - only if the messages are friendly!

Family Holidays

As school terms draw to a close, families are preparing to head off in great numbers on their annual holiday. For young growing families one of the biggest factors in deciding on the destination is probably the financial budget.

This would be true for Catholic families as much as any other. But there are other factors to be considered. Don’t neglect extended family and friends.

We were lucky to have family and friends in the USA and so each year before our youngest was two (and therefore had to pay for an airline seat!) we took a long summer break in Massachussetts and Florida. Despite flight costs we had few other expenses. In fact we were treated right royally. Our children forged friendships which still exist today.

In between years we stayed with my brother in Lincoln, mother-in-law just outside London, took a road trip in Ireland, and even ventured with a tent across the Channel to Brittany and Normandy. We did two house swaps, one with a family in Grenoble and on two occasions with a Spanish family from Jerez. And so our children experienced different cultures at a young age.

With all holidays we concentrated on outdoor activities as far as possible whether it was park, garden or beach. It was a total escape, before the days of internet, mobile text messages etc, without TV, radio or newspaper.

If possible we made the holiday a pilgrimage, always seeking out a local shrine. So it was that we came to visit Lourdes, Lisieux, La Salette, Beauraing, Knock and literally stumbled upon St Anne d’Auray.

In 1986 we did a walking pilgrimage to Fatima from Portsmouth, in an organised group with two back up vehicles. It covered a three week period and was the experience of a lifetime!

In later years due to limited budget camping prevailed and then we discovered Torreciudad, a Marian shrine in Northern Spain operated by Opus Dei. Nearby is a village set up by Spanish families and we had the chance to rent a house here. Would that we had discovered it when our children were small! It proved to be a perfect holiday destination in every respect.

Now children are grown and this summer will see our youngest at World Youth Day in Madrid while we will be in California visiting our daughter, husband and family.

We have happy memories of family holidays – treasure yours and, above all, keep safe this summer. Prayers for all travellers by road, rail, sea and air this summer.

Pope Benedict XV1's Landmark

In honour of the Pope's 60th Anniversary of his priestly ordination on June 29th, the HFG has put together a spiritual bouquet as a gift which comprises:



Rosaries: 50

Novena of Masses & Holy Communions: 1

Mass & Holy Communion: 12

Chaplets of Divine Mercy: 5
Special Prayers: 1

Adoration:2 hours

EF Mass & Holy Communion: 6

Suffering offered: Hip pain; emotional pain

Benediction: 5

Litany of the Holy name of Jesus: 1

Father's Day and Precious Priests

I was saddened to learn that Father John Corapi has decided to leave active public ministry as a priest. I do not believe I can comment further except to say that we have lost another priest at a time when each one is sorely needed. Let us pray for Father John Corapi. Let us pray for all priests. Let us pray for those who are discerning a  vocation to the Priesthood and for those currently in training in seminaries. Priests need to know they are loved  and supported by the laity. Does your priest know how precious he is? Does he know how much you value his ministry? Tell him! Pray for him and wish him a Happy Father's Day today!

Pray for your Father

As we approach Father’s Day I am very aware that mine has a particularly rough deal
at the moment. At 94 he broke his hip three days after my mother died and several weeks later had hip replacement surgery. He recovered marvellously from that however due to subsequent medical negligence and further hospitalisations (unconnected to his surgery) he is not back to normal so to speak and indeed in all likelihood never will be.

He is lost without my mum to care for. She kept him right and, although he was caring for her in the last years of her life, she helped him on a day to day basis. They had celebrated a Golden Wedding and were seven years past their Diamond Anniversary. They kept each other alive; each afraid to leave the other to face life alone. Well it’s my dad who is doing that now and she could have been such a support to him. All of a sudden things he could easily have coped with have become huge problems. I am so grateful for the time I have had both my parents but it is very hard when sickness takes such a toll.

Let us pray for an appreciation of all fathers, living and deceased.

Let us pray for those who are living as widowers.

Let us pray for the fathers of our children.
Let us pray for fathers who are struggling at this time with their role, their health, their employment, their retirement, their youth or their old age.
Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fathers

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labour and weariness. But amid the worries of material life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labour alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen.
(Pope John XXIII)

Jesu Mount or Jesmond Photos

We had a beautiful day for our pilgrimage across the Town Moor to Our Lady's Shrine at Jesmond, posted about earlier. Here are a few pictures of the picturesque ruined chapel and the Holy Well.